It is a truth universally acknowledged that students tend
to dislike academic articles, however, just once in a while, one comes along
and changes their minds.
Whilst travelling along the road to becoming a fully-fledged
OT, there are many hurdles to be overcome. Some hurdles are obvious, the
circled due-date on a calendar for work left too late, some are obstacles of
the mind- your own doubts about competence and fears of failure. Each semester and
its accompanying fieldwork pose new challenges, I’ve often felt overwhelmed and
ill-equipped when starting practicals. Lectures help, textbooks too, but
ultimately the only way I learn is through my attempts and mistakes. That’s a
tough pill to swallow for me and many students, we don’t want to mess up! I’m a
perfectionist and extremely hard on myself when it comes to upholding my
academic standards, so when the unpredictable nature of fieldwork, and this
profession in general, comes along it messes with my confidence in a huge way. And
those are the times I have to remind myself: I’M ONLY A STUDENT, one step at a
time.
One thing that is repeated throughout our studies is the
importance of reading. Being an avid bookworm, one would think that that’s
right up my alley. Unfortunately, journal articles are not this bookworm’s favourite,
their content often flying over my head. However, there’s no denying that extra
reading, research and articles are a valuable component on making us better
students and ultimately better OTs. One article that resonated with me was a South
African article by Klopper, Pretorius & Vlok, (2016), which describes the
subjective experience of clients at a community rehabilitation center. In the
article, one sees the reality of community-based work and how despite staffing constraints,
a lack of resources and the frustration of poor client compliance, all norms in
OT practice these days, the therapists in this setting never lose their ability
to offer high quality care to clients who desperately need it. The study aimed
to identify how the lives of clients were impacted by receiving physical
rehabilitation from Occupational Therapists. The results of this study are heart-warming
for a student like me, as I’m never certain that I’ve truly made a difference
in someone’s life, and goes on to show just how impactful Occupational Therapy
services can be.
According to Klopper, Pretorius & Vlock, (2016), “clients
mainly commented on the positive feelings that arose from their rehabilitation
– the changes that affected them as a person – rather than making comments that
related specifically to the alleviation of body function limitations”. This hits
home, reminding me of why I entered this degree to begin with, to brighten up
people’s days and fill them with hope- with any physical/psychological treatment
progress being a bonus. In this article, the results identified a few themes
such as “positive changes in their lives”, “gives them courage” and “broadening
of knowledge” (Klopper, Pretorius & Vlock., 2016) when referring to what
was gained through therapy. These phrases are the essence of Occupational
Therapy to me, and having them present in the findings of a local study goes to
a show that these are core components of OT that extend world-wide, that
despite contexts, care can be so fulfilling. In my own treatment session this
week, I saw the pure joy that can be born from the simplest activities. An
aerobics exercise aimed to get my client up and about with a take home message
of self-love, seemed to really strike a chord in her- leaving us both feeling
quite satisfied (and me high-fiving myself). Therapy doesn’t have to take the
client from a wheelchair to walking (that’s a bonus), it doesn’t have to make a
limp limb move (that’s a bonus), nor does therapy need to be filled with
profound revelations (that’s a bonus)… to me, therapy just needs to leave my
client happier than when I found them.
Below are links to further stories that follow the themes mentioned
in the article:
Until next week,
Kaylee
References:
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.
(2013). Lurie Children's Stories of Hope: Aaron, Living with Spina Bifida [video
file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91d0HN9MXcU
Curtis University. (2018). A Day with an Occupational
Therapist | EJ Leong | Curtin Graduate [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHCcZcuseiw
Kloppers, M., Pretorius, B.,
& Vlok, E. D. (2016). Clients' subjective experience of their participation
in rehabilitation at an out-patient community rehabilitation center. South African Journal of
Occupational Therapy, 46(1), 59-63.
Shepard Centre. (2017). Patient Stories of Hope: Janet
Paulsen [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFRXBaJJrsc
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